Sell development land in Harwich
If you own land around Harwich and want a straight answer about it, we'll tell you whether we can buy it, on what terms, and what the offer is based on.
Selling development land well depends on matching the deal to the planning position. With permission in place, an outright sale is usually simplest. Without it, a conditional contract or option can share the planning risk fairly.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Harwich?
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Harwich at a glance
Harwich (CO12) sits in OS grid square TM23, some 37 miles north-east of Southend-on-Sea. Sites between here and Felixstowe or Clacton-on-Sea are just as much of interest to us.
| Town | Harwich |
|---|---|
| County | Essex |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CO12 |
| OS grid square | TM23 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Felixstowe (3 mi), Ipswich (10 mi), Clacton-on-Sea (12 mi) |
| Distance from Southend-on-Sea | About 37 miles north-east |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
Land we're keen to see around Harwich
- Land that adjoins an existing town, village or housing estate
- A safe point of access onto a public road, or a realistic way to create one
- Sites allocated, or put forward, in the local plan
- Land with a planning history we can build on, even if earlier applications were refused
Most development land starts life as an ordinary field. What makes it valuable is where it sits: next to existing homes, close to a road, inside or near a settlement boundary. We assess those things first and give you a straight answer.
What affects the price
Access
A frontage onto an adopted road removes cost and uncertainty; a third party controlling access can cut value sharply.
Ground and drainage
Poor ground, contamination or the need for a pumping station all add build cost that comes off the land price.
Local sale values
The price new homes will sell for nearby sets the ceiling on what the land is worth.
Ecology and trees
Protected species, ancient hedgerows and tree preservation orders can reduce the developable area.
Choosing how to sell
Outright purchase
Best where permission is already granted and the title is clean.
Subject-to-planning sale
Lets you lock in a price now that is paid once we secure permission.
Option agreements
Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.
Joint ventures
Worth discussing if you want a share of the finished development value.
From first call to completion
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
Rules that apply in England
Green belt and grey belt
Green belt land is protected from inappropriate development. National policy in England also recognises 'grey belt': green belt land that doesn't strongly contribute to key green belt purposes, where housing can be acceptable if further tests are met.
Section 106 and CIL
Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.
Flood risk
Environment Agency flood maps and the sequential test steer new homes away from areas at highest risk of flooding.
When the land isn't straightforward
The access is over someone else's land
We check the title for rights of way and, where needed, factor in the cost of buying or negotiating access.
Part of the field floods
We map the flood zones and look at whether homes can sit on the drier part, with the rest used as open space.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
What people ask us about development land
How do I know if my land is development land?
Ask three questions: does it sit next to existing homes, can a car get onto it safely from a public road, and is it outside the worst flood risk? If the answer to all three is yes, it is worth an appraisal. We will tell you honestly if we don't think homes are achievable.
What size of site do you buy?
We look at sites from around a quarter of an acre for a single plot up to large fields on the edge of towns. Size matters less than location, access and planning prospects.
Will I pay any fees to you?
No. We are the buyer, not an agent, so there is no commission. You will normally pay your own solicitor unless we agree otherwise in writing.
Do you buy land in Harwich?
Yes. We consider land in and around Harwich and across Essex. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Development land near Harwich
Other land types and routes
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- Land for affordable homes
- Farmland and agricultural land
- Paddocks and equestrian land
- Barns and rural buildings
- Building plots
- Garden land and backland
- Infill plots and gap sites
- Small sites
- Garage sites
- Brownfield land
- Redundant commercial and industrial land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Harwich
- Development land in Essex
Ready to talk about your land in Harwich?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.